Torn Between Two Lovers
by Sarah Charlotte
Summary: Two new girls arrive at Hogwarts, but emotions run high and who knows what will happen? Please R/R
1. Jenni and Hilary, Best Friends for Life

Something jerked her awake.  
  
She wasn't sure what it was - at all. But something jerked her awake and it was amazing.  
  
It felt like the dreamiest thing ever - it had the best feeling. But whatever it was, she didn't know. Five minutes after that, she couldn't remember.  
  
Jennifer Ryan Carmichael lived with her mother and her brother. Her father had died when she was three.  
  
But now, she was fifteen years old and, during the summer, had moved to Surrey with her mother Libby and her brother Ben. Ben was nine years old and hadn't started his wizardry education yet, but Jennifer knew he would soon.  
  
The problem was, when they moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Surrey, Jennifer had to leave Horizon. Horizon was her previous witchcraft school. Horizon Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry was it's name, and she had been the most popular - and smartest - person there. Everyone loved her.  
  
She knew that, once she joined Hogwarts (wasn't that its name?) she would have an escort, but she couldn't remember his name. It made no sense to her, really, because she knew she'd heard the name somewhere when they had been studying Famous Wizards and Witches.  
  
Jennifer got up and looked at her Hogwarts letter. It said that her escort was someone named Harry Potter.  
  
Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Harry Potter. The name ran over and over and over again in her head, like an echo. She touched her photo album gently, which was laying next to her letter.  
  
She opened it and saw all her friends. Hilary, her best friend in the whole world, Andrea, Laura, Jorie, Annaliese, Marilyn, Tiffany, Crystal, T'keyah, LaCreme, and her guy friends Shawn, David, and Jake were all standing in the picture, smiling back at her. Then she saw her.  
  
The Jennifer Ryan Carmichael in the picture was happy. Jennifer hadn't smiled since they'd left Phoenix. Tired of her own thoughts, Jennifer laid back down on her bed. She wouldn't be going to sleep.  
  
Term started tomorrow, and supposedly, this Harry dude would be standing right there waiting for her. I mean, it wasn't like they'd sent her a picture, so how was she supposed to know who he was?  
  
Then, Jennifer had an idea. It was so obvious - how could she not have understood it? If she was insecure about going to Hogwarts, then what she had to do was make a name for herself right then and there. Be a smart aleck to the teachers, go against dress code, run in the hallways, flirt with the boys, pass notes - basically, be the Jennifer Ryan Carmichael she had been a year ago, when she was in Horizon and a meager fourteen years old.  
  
You better watch out, Hogwarts, Jennifer thought. I'm going to turn this school for stiff study-more party-less wizards and witches around. You'll never know what hit you.  
  
Well, Hogwarts may have known what hit it. But Harry and Ron sure didn't.  
  
*************************  
"And while you're on the train, don't talk to anyone but your escort, even if they're nuns. And remember to always do what the teachers here tell you because it isn't like Horizon. They can expel you if they want to."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, Mom, I know," Jennifer said. She was kind of embarrassed. She was the only 15-year-old in the place being chastised by her mother. Or, at least, the only one she knew of.  
  
"Please don't make me embarrassed. Please." Her mother told her. Jennifer kissed her mom on the cheek. "Sure, I won't."  
  
She kissed Ben on the cheek too. "Now take care of yourself and Mom, and don't let her get too caught up in her painting, but remember to remind her about that Tiffany Buxo Gallery she has to do back in Phoenix and remember, it's overseas back in the U.S. so you have to ship it as early as possible so it can get there by the time the gallery starts," Jennifer said.  
  
Ben nodded, understanding. "I'll miss you, Jen," he said. She smiled. "I'll miss you, too."  
  
Good-byes and farewells were issued and finally, Jennifer boarded the platform. It was strange to believe that she, Jennifer Ryan Carmichael, was boarding the Hogwarts platform.  
  
"Are you, um, Jennifer Carmichael?" a boy asked. He's rather cute, Jennifer thought. I think he should be my first flirting victim. Kind of a funny thing to start out with and all, but whatever, no one will care.  
  
"Yeah," she said. "Are you my escort?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm - I - I used to know this..."  
  
"Harry Potter," she finished for him. "I know, I get nervous around people, too and sometimes I forget the really crucial stuff, like how old I am and how many shows I've done and who I'm with. Oh, I'm an actress." She explained when she saw his confused look.  
  
Her cell phone vibrated at that moment. "Yes! Text message from Hilary! Oh, you go, girl!" Jennifer said.  
  
"Oh, she's so sweet! I mean how many people do you know will send you a picture of all your friends waving bye to you and wishing you good luck. I mean, seriously!"  
  
"I don't know," Harry replied honestly. This one was definitely outgoing and vibrant. "Is this what you're wearing?" he asked her.  
  
She looked down at it. Jeans, a white belt, and a tight, black top was her fashion choice.  
  
"Yeah, what's wrong with it? I mean, did you guys all coordinate before you left the house, or is it just mere coincidence?" she asked him.  
  
"Nothing's wrong with it except you'll have to change, so you're not out of dress code, and it's a uniform. So we didn't all coordinate."  
  
"Oh," Jennifer said, feeling stupid already. She had seen the list of things she'd need, and on there included the dress code, but she never really assumed they had to wear it. She thought it was optional.  
  
"Hey, Harry," Ron and Hermione said. "Whoa." Ron said when he saw Jennifer. Jennifer immediately understood why Ron was surprised. She wasn't looking her best. She'd forgotten make up and was wearing the oldest thing in her closet, and she had pulled her long, brown hair into a ponytail.  
  
"Sorry," she apologized. "I usually look better, but I assumed, this is England. No one will exactly be looking the best that they could, right?"  
  
Seeing that she had insulted them, she felt an apology and an explanation was in order. "I should stop thinking out loud. Listen what I meant was you guys are so different from America. I used to go to Horizon, on the other side of Mesa, Arizona. We lived in Phoenix. And you guys are so different from the people there, I meant you wouldn't look the best that you can on American standards. I'm sure this is pretty great on British ones."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Horizon?" she asked. "That's a pretty good school. I hear they're fairly advanced, being only the best school in America. Aren't they in the Top 10 of all the schools over the world?"  
  
"Yes," Jennifer responded, guessing that Hermione was obviously very smart and she had competition, for once. "Actually, they're the second best. While Hogwarts is just the fifth best, I assume I have to go here anyway."  
  
Hermione nodded. "I'll try to be tolerant of you and your American ways if you try to be tolerant of me and our English ones."  
  
Jennifer shrugged, but ignored Hermione's hand. "Sure, whatever. Listen, when do we board the train? You guys seriously don't mind if I sit with you, do you? Because I mean, I have nowhere else to go."  
  
*******************  
In the compartment, Ron and Harry fought silently over who would sit next to Jennifer. Harry won, and Ron was forced to sit next to Hermione.  
  
"So, Jennifer," Ron said. "Oh. Jenni for short, and Jen for shorter. Jen's my nickname that my 9-year-old brother, Ben, gave to me."  
  
"So, Jenni," Ron said. "Are you in Gryffindor this year?"  
  
Jenni shrugged. "I don't know. We didn't have teams like that, but I guess I am. I mean, I don't really know. Seriously, I don't. They told me that I was supposed to go to the headmaster's office to get my schedule and get sorted, but then again, they also told me that the Sorting Hat went on strike or something like that."  
  
Ron and Harry laughed, but Hermione rolled her eyes. Jenni's nonchalant ways were annoying Hermione, for some reason.  
  
"Do you guys have any, like, campus parties or anything like that? We had those all the time in Horizon. They were so much fun! Oh, if you don't, maybe I should start one. You know, make it really cute, with a theme, you know?" Jenni suggested.  
  
"We don't have those here," Hermione informed her. "Hogwarts is mostly studying and hardly any fun at all."  
  
"No, seriously. I mean I believe you about the parties, but you've got to have some fun. Right?"  
  
Harry and Ron laughed. "We have tons of fun," Ron told her. "Yeah, loads of it," Harry added.  
  
Jenni smiled and nodded. "Cool. Well, I guess this place might actually be not so bad."  
  
Ten minutes later, conversation had died down and Ron was looking out the window, Hermione was studying (what else?) and Jenni was flirting with Harry. Hermione was a little jealous, but knew she had nothing to be jealous of.  
  
Another ten minutes later, Jenni was tired of flirting and decided to just write. She took out her book and her pink feathery pen. It was really cute and it was a Good-Luck/Going-Away present from Hilary.  
  
September 1  
  
Dear Diary,  
It looks like things are going to be okay here. Wait, I can't lie to you. Things are definitely harder here. If I had Jake and Hilary here, then it would all be okay. But I don't and I'm all alone and I have to make friends myself, and that's the hardest of all. I don't know, maybe I'll just try to make friends. I mean, these three people are the stiffest people I've ever met. They hardly have any fun. Although, I think my escort Harry and his friend Ron might like me. I'm not sure. Hermione, though, she has a problem. She's so mean! I mean, doesn't anyone notice? She's all snobby and bratty and everything. I'm sure she'd be perfectly nice if she tried. I already miss Hilary and Jake. Sigh. Later days. Luv alwayz~Jenni  
  
"What are you writing?" Ron asked.  
  
"Just a diary entry," Jenni told him. "I mean, not like it's that important, right?" Jenni sighed. "I wish Hilary and Jake were here."  
  
"Who's Jake?" Harry asked. "My ex. We broke up when I left, but still. We were supposed to be friends."  
  
At that moment, the compartment door opened. "I'm ba-ack!" a voice said, like that girl from The Poltergeist.  
  
"HILARY! Ohh my goodness! You're here! I thought you were still in Horizon!" Jenni said, getting up and hugging her best friend.  
  
"Who cares how I got here? All I know is, I'm here to support you in your new place. And, by doing that, I'll be attending this new school."  
  
All Jenni could do was smile. "Who are these people? They're the stiffest losers I've ever seen!" Hilary whispered.  
  
"Tell me about it. Thanks for coming to liven up the little funfest we're having." Jenni turned to Ron, Hermione, and Harry. "Guys, this is my best friend in the whole entire world, Hilary. And Hilary, this is Ron, Hermione, and Harry."  
  
Don't ask me how, but Hilary did liven up the funfest. The time passed all too quickly. Even Hermione was having fun eventually. They played spin the bottle, Truth or Dare, Remember Me?, M.A.S.H., Pictionary, and a bunch of other games.  
  
Hilary was in dress code, but it wasn't abnormal. Jenni was usually the leader of the whole party, and Hilary was the follower. Like normal.  
  
Once they arrived, they left to go to Dumbledore, and Harry and Ron talked in the Great Hall.  
  
"Jenni's great," Harry said. "I know," Ron replied. "They're both very spirited and lots of fun."  
  
"I just don't know. I mean I'm supposed to be her escort. I'm sure she already thinks I'm a 'self-absorbed loser'," Harry mentioned, using a Jenni phrase.  
  
"She doesn't. I'm sure Hilary wonders why I ever even bothered to speak to her. And I'm sure Jenni's not sure why I even bothered to look at her in the eye." Ron said, sadly. Hermione joined them.  
  
"Hermione, how do you get a girl to say hi?" Harry asked. "Oh, you just make her think she's the most wonderful thing you've ever seen. Then she'll notice you."  
  
Harry nodded. "Oh."  
  
"Why, who's the girl you want to say hi?" Hermione asked. "Jenni." Harry replied. "Jenni or Hilary, they're both great, they're both wonderful, they're both beautiful."  
  
"Well, they sure are a breath of fresh air," Hermione said sarcastically. "Why don't you like them?" Harry asked.  
  
"Because! They're not serious enough. I mean, I know Hilary said that Jenni was the smartest person in Horizon. Nonetheless, Horizon is a good school. But if she was the smartest there...okay, she may be smart, but she has no common sense and she's a klutz and a ditz, as they say." Hermione complained.  
  
"I think someone's afraid of a little competition," Ron said. "Someone may be jealous here."  
  
"I'm not jealous and I'm not afraid of competition. Trust me, neither Hilary nor Jenni will be any threat to me. They're self-absorbed airheads who know nothing about the things Hogwarts will be teaching us."  
  
And oh, was Hermione oh-so-wrong.  
  
Hilary and Jenni were the only people who could turn their desks into pigs, the only people who had memorized all the seventh-year-spells, they were the only people who knew everything. Even Hermione seemed stupid compared to these girls.  
  
"What have they been teaching you in Horizon?" Hermione asked one day. "Certainly not this stuff," Jenni replied. "Actually, they're teaching us what the seventh-years are learning. No wonder Horizon is the second best school and Hogwarts is only the fifth."  
  
"I know. These people go so slowly! Don't you have G&T?" Hilary asked. "What's G&T?" Ron asked.  
  
"G&T is gifted and talented. If you're more advanced, they'll put you in G&T. Obviously they don't have it here." Hilary explained.  
  
"Oh, my gosh. A back-to-school dance! Oh, my, gosh! Finally! Someone's doing something interesting here." Jenni said, looking at a flyer.  
  
Hilary grabbed it. "Should we pull a Sadie Hawkins and ask a few guys ourselves?" Hilary asked. "Or just play hard-to-get?"  
  
Jenni smiled slyly. "I suggest we just stick around and wait to get asked. After all, you've seen the crowds in between classes. Everyone wants to know if I'll go to Hogsmeade with them! You, too, Hil," Jenni added when she noticed Hilary wasn't her bouncy self.  
  
Harry and Ron looked at each other. They didn't have to say anything - everything they were thinking was in their eyes.  
  
"I don't see why anyone would possibly want to go," Hermione noted. "After all, it's a stupid dance."  
  
"But it's a chance to have fun! After all, it's not like I know anyone. So it's like I'll have another excuse to get to know people." Jenni added.  
  
"Come on, Hermione. You're 15-years-old. Don't you think it's about time you started growing up and realizing the funner side of life?" Hilary asked.  
  
"It's more fun, not funner. And what do you mean by that?" Hermione corrected Hilary's bad grammar. Hilary knew it was 'more fun', but she preferred to say 'funner' to annoy everyone.  
  
"What Hilary OBVIOUSLY means is that maybe you should start realizing the cool things. You know, make-overs, clothes, shopping sprees, boys...all you do all day is strain your eyes in those little books. I mean, take Hil and I. We're super-popular and interested in all that stuff, but we're still smart."  
  
"Smartest in the class!" Hilary corrected.  
  
Hermione slammed her books. "I'll be interested when I want to be," she said with a frosty tone. "Until then, I prefer to be interested in what I am interested in." With that, she left.  
  
"Well, Miss Ice Queen sure woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Jenni noted. Harry felt it was sufficient to jump in with a comment.  
  
"She's like that when you mention how book-smart she is," Harry told them. Jenni nodded, but looked into his eyes. He was gorgeous, really. The way his hair fell in his face, and was that blue eyes? Well, if they were, they were gorgeous.  
  
"I think I know who I want to go to the dance with," Hilary said. Jenni thought she meant Harry, and immediately got insulted. "Well, I think we all know who I want to go with." Jenni said.  
  
Hilary was independent, but when it came to Jenni, everyone knew that Jenni had the last laugh - and the last word.  
  
"And we all know that the person I want to go with isn't going to go with you, because everyone knows that people prefer brunettes." Jenni continued. Hilary's blonde hair was pretty, but it didn't attract guys the way Jenni's brown hair did.  
  
"But what if he asks me?" Hilary asked. "If he asks you, which is highly unlikely, then we'll just have to see about that, now won't we." It wasn't a question, so Jenni got up. Hilary mouthed "Fine" and shrugged.  
  
Jenni started walking away, but Harry got up and caught up with her. "Jenni!" he called. She stopped and turned around.  
  
"Um, I know it's short notice, since the dance is on Friday and everything. But, wannagotothedancewithme?" he blurted out.  
  
"Huh?" Jenni asked. "Will you, um, go to the, uh, dance with me?" he asked her. He remembered when he'd asked Cho last year, and that was embarrassing enough. He desperately hoped that she wouldn't turn him down. Her face was suddenly filled with pity.  
  
"Oh, Harry," she said. "I'd love to go!" she said, suddenly changing it. He was surprised by this. "I've got one better. Why don't we become the official It couple of Hogwarts? After all, it's me and you. You're popular because well, you're Harry Potter. And I'm popular because everyone loves me."  
  
He ignored this comment, and shrugged. "Cool!" she said, taking this as a yes. "So, will you walk me to my class?"  
  
He smiled at her and took her books. "Oh, you didn't have to do that," she said. Surprisingly and spontaneously, she kissed him on the cheek.  
  
Ron and Hilary were watching this, and Jenni knew that. But one thing Jenni didn't know was that Hermione was also watching this - and she got pretty mad, too. 


	2. The New Hermione Granger

"He's mine and you know it!" Hermione exclaimed. Furious at Harry, but even more furious at Jenni, Hermione didn't know what she was doing.  
  
"You're insane," Jenni told her. "Just calm down. Everyone knows that no relationship lasts longer than two weeks. We've already gone through one of them. The dance is coming up, and after that, it'll be like nothing ever happened."  
  
Hilary piped up with a comment at that moment. "No offense, Hermione, but you never actually dated Harry."  
  
That was true, but Hermione wasn't about to admit it. Here were these American girls, new, popular, always surrounded by people, smarter than anyone, and yanking up points for Gryffindor like never before.  
  
Hilary had, surprisingly, started officially going out with Ron yesterday. This really made Hermione mad. She was losing her two best friends to these American girls! That wasn't fair, especially for go-with- the-flow Hermione.  
  
Another thing that bothered her was that Jenni and Hilary never got in trouble for being out-of-dress code. They always wore jeans to their classes, and not even McGonagall had said anything about it.  
  
"Oh, just cool off, Hermione. If you want, I'll break up with Harry and...yeah. I just will." Jenni smiled and flipped her hair, and Hilary followed her.  
  
Jenni and Hilary were sure the life of the party. They'd come up with three different campus parties and had enjoyed themselves with Slytherin boys, Ravenclaw boys, Gryffindor boys, but none of the Hufflepuff boys. You have to admit, they are kind of fluffy, as Jenni says.  
  
************************  
"Oh, my gosh. Hil, I thought of the best idea ever! Let's try out that new Hogsmeade Mall tomorrow. We have to have cute clothes for the dance, considering who we're going with." Jenni exclaimed.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't look up from her book. Then, Jenni got an idea. "Hermione! You should come! You'd look perfect with a make-over."  
  
"No thanks," Hermione said coolly. But strangely, deep inside she really wanted to go with them. She wanted to be a part of their popular group, she wanted to be a part of something special like they had. They were the most popular people in Hogwarts, beating out Cho by about 1000 people.  
  
"I'm serious. Hermione, you are so coming and you are going to like it." The last "you are going to like it" part really surprised Hermione.  
  
"If you get made-over early enough, you might snag a date for the dance. It's only Tuesday, there's plenty of time." Hilary suggested.  
  
"I don't want to go. I have plenty more things to do than waste my time at some silly little dance." That was a lie. Hermione wanted to go so bad, but whom with? She'd rather go with Harry, and he was already taken.  
  
"Well, at least try it and see if you like it," Hilary said. She was softer than Jenni was.  
  
"Fine. If you'll stop, I'll go." Hermione said, throwing down her quill. Hilary and Jenni smiled at each other. "We'll stop. Okay, here's what we do. After school tomorrow we'll meet after our last class. We'll go down to Hogsmeade together, then we'll head straight to the mall." She went on and on and described every detail like she had already planned it.  
  
*****************  
  
The trip to the mall was pretty cool. Hermione was having a lot of fun.  
  
"Okay. Operation Redo Hermione Granger is about to begin. First, we'll go to...mmm...the hair salon and see if they can do anything about your hair!" Jenni said. And they were able to. Within a few hours, Hermione's hair was no longer curly-curly...now, the curls hung limply around her shoulders. Most of it was straight. She was very pretty. Then they gave her blonde highlights.  
  
"Next stop: Fashion Boutique!" Hilary announced and they were off again. They bought Hermione the cutest outfits.  
  
"Now, see, the thing is, at school, you're going to be like us." Hilary said and started pulling things off the rack.  
  
"I don't want to break the rules!" Hermione exclaimed, suddenly upset.  
  
"You're not breaking them, we're bending them," Jenni explained. "Now, instead of that ugly knit gray skirt, you're going to wear this one. It doesn't say you can't wear it."  
  
This skirt was prettier - it was a black mini skirt with a big silver belt buckle. Hermione tried not to show much attraction to it, but she was getting pretty excited.  
  
"And now, makeup!" Hilary told her. They dragged Hermione into Pink Lip Gloss, their favorite store, and bought her all kinds of things.  
  
"For the final touch..." Jenni said, and they took Hermione into "Accessories and Stuff".  
  
Hermione had gotten her ears pierced. It was something she never thought she'd do, but she did it.  
  
Then they bought her jewelry and everything. By the time it was over, the two girls had spent over a hundred dollars on Hermione.  
  
"But it's okay. I can afford it." Jenni said. She was rich. Very, very rich.  
  
They brought Hermione back to Hogwarts and they allowed her to change her clothes, and then they started on the makeup. They applied foundation, mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, lip liner, lip-gloss, and even freckle-hider for the few Hermione had.  
  
When Hermione finally brought herself to look in the mirror, she didn't know who she was. She looked like another person.  
  
But whoever she was, she liked it.  
  
"Listen, Jenni, I'm really sorry about Harry and everything. I really don't mind you dating him. Really."  
  
Jenni smiled. "It's okay, Hermione. It really is." Hermione looked like she was about to burst into tears. "Don't cry, you'll ruin your mascara."  
  
Then Hermione realized it. "If you can make me look like this, then what do you really look like?"  
  
Jenni got all-mysterious. "You will never know."  
  
*************  
It turns out that Hermione did get a date for the dance - a very nice guy named Michael.  
  
But she still wanted Harry.  
  
The dance was wonderful. Hilary wore a mini rust-colored broom skirt, sleeveless red top, open-toed boots, and a matching red handbag. Jenni wore hot pink sling backs with roses on the side, a light pink belt, hot pink shirt w/ little dark pink rose in the center of the low cut collar.  
  
Hermione looked great, too. She'd followed Hilary and Jenni's fashion advice and wore a green dress and matching green boots, designed by "the fashion legacy, Lauren Franklin".  
  
But the thing that determined the wonderful part of this dance was that Harry kissed Jenni. On the lips. And it lasted longer than just a peck. This one was an actual kiss.  
  
Jenni was very excited.  
  
Hermione, however, wasn't. But what could she do? Jenni had helped her so much and she was forever grateful to Jenni.  
  
But Hermione had a plan that would make Harry fall in love with her, instead of Jenni. 


End file.
